Sheet metal brake



Aug. 30, 1955 Filed Aug. 31, 1951 P. L. CADY, JR 2,716,436

SHEET METAL BRAKE 2 Sheets-She et l Fig./

Percy L. Caa'y, Jr.

INVENTOR.

Aug. 30, 1955 P. L. CADY, JR

SHEET METAL BRAKE Filed Aug. 51 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent SHEET METAL BRAKE Percy L. Cady, Jr., Darien Center, N. Y.

Application August 31, 1951, Serial No. 244,516

3 Claims. (Cl. 153-15) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in sheet metal bending machines or brakes adapted for holding the work while bending the same at a desired angle.

An important object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character susceptible of either manual or power operation and including a hold down ram positioned above the work and a pair of pivoted forming leaves positioned under the Work and capable of either independent or simultaneous bending operation.

Another object is to provide a novel pivot or hinge construction for the pair of oppositely swinging front and rear forming leaves and connecting the operating means thereto for swinging both leaves upwardly from a position at the front of the apparatus.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of this character of simple and practical construction, which is strong and durable, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view taken on a line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on a line 33 of Figure l; and,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the hinge construction for one end of the forming leaves.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numerals 5 and 6 designate a pair of channel posts which form a stand for the apparatus. A hold down ram 7 of metal plate construction is held in a perpendicular position by a pressure bar 8 having a pair of spaced apart reinforcing strips 9 at its lower edge and between which the upper edge of ram 7 is welded or otherwise suitably secured. The lower edge of ram 7 is tapered or bevelled at each'surface, as shown at 10, to a substantially narrow or knife edge.

The ends of pressure bar 8 are slidable in vertical guides 11 on the opposed sides of posts 5 and 6 and arms 12 project outwardly at each end of the upper edge of the bar to overlie the tops of the posts. are held compressed between arms 12 and brackets 14 on the posts to raise the bar 8 and vertical links 15 are pivoted at their upper ends to the arms 12 and pivoted at their lower ends to a toggle or bell crank levers 16, which are pivoted to brackets 17 on the outer side of the posts to pull and lock the pressure bar 8 and hold down ram in its lowered position.

A pair of forming plates 18 and 19 are positioned in side by side relation to each other and with their upper edges 20 and 21 co-planar beneath hold down ram 7 which has its narrow lower edge positioned longitudinally Coil springs 13 2,716,436 Patented Aug. 30, 1955 ice at 22 and which comprise a pair of arms or plates 23 and 24 secured to the end edges of the forming plates parallel thereto and hinge sectors 25and 26 in the form of segments of a cylinder project laterally at the upper ends of arms 23 and 24. Each sector is formed with an arcuate outer surface 27 and an arcuate longitudinal groove 28 at its inner surface in which a hinge pin 29 is seated and with the sectors 25 and 26 positioned at diametrically opposite sides of the hinge pin 29 for turning the sectors about the pin.

The assembled sectors 25 and 26 and hinge pin 29 are journalled in a split bearing 30 welded or otherwise suitably secured to the outer surface of posts 5 and 6 to rotatably support the sectors while the arms 23 and 24 are raised and lowered by swinging the same toward or away from each other to correspondingly actuate the forming plates 18 and 19.

A handle 31 is secured to arm 23 of one of the hinge structures to extend upwardly and forwardly over the upper edge of the forming plates and a handle 32 is. secured to the companion arm 24 and extends downwardly therefrom.

The center of forming plates 18 and 19 are held from spreading apart by means of a chain or other flexible member 33 secured to the back of forming plate 19 by a screw 34 and passing freely through an opening .35 in plate 18. A washer 36 is secured to the other end of chain 33 by a nut 37 and a coil spring 38 is held on the chain compressed between the washer and the outer surface of plate 18 to hold the forming plates together.

In the operation of the device, sheet metal work 39 is placed on the upper edges 20 and 21 of forming plates 18 and 19 under hold down ram 7 which is then lowered by levers 16 to lock the ram on top of the work. Handle 31 is then forced downwardly to swing rear forming plate 18 upwardly and handle 32 is pulled upwardly to swing front forming plate 19 upwardly, the upper edges 20 and 21 of the forming plates thus bending the work upwardly at the opposite sides of the ram 7, as shown in Figure 2, to a desired angle.

The lower edge of hold down ram 7 may also be rounded or otherwise shaped to form corresponding bends in the work.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A sheet metal bending apparatus comprising a pair of vertically swingable forming plates positioned vertically in side by side relation to each other and on the upper edge of which the work is adapted for placing in a horizontal position bridging the plates, pivot means at the upper edge of each plate and supporting the plates for independent outward swinging movement of each plate to tilt the upper edges of the plates under the work, a hold down ram above the work and having a narrow transverse work-engaging portion centered longitudinally at the junction of the upper edges of the pair of forming plates and a handle for each plate and adapted to independently swing the plates upwardly at opposite sides of the ram, said handles for both plates being positioned at the outer side of one of the plates.

2. A sheet metal bending apparatus comprising a pair of vertically swingable forming plates positioned vertically in side by side relation to each other and on the upper edge of which the work is adapted for placing in a horizontal position bridging the plates, pivot means at the upper edge of each plate and supporting the plates for independent outward swinging movement of each plate to tilt the upper edges of the plates under the work, a hold down ram above the work and having a narrow transverse work-engaging portion centered longitudinally at the junction of the upper edges of the pair of forming plates and a handle for each plate and adapted to independently swing the plates upwardly at opposite sides of the ram, one of said handles extending downwardly from its related plate to actuate the latter by at raising movement of its handle and the other of said handles extending upwardly and forwardly over the upper edge of both plates and in the region of the first named handle to actuate its related plate by a lowering movement of the last named handle.

3. A sheet metal bending apparatus comprising a supporting structure including a pair of vertical members each having a bearing supported thereby, a pair of forming plates positioned vertically in side by side relation to each other and on the upper edges of which the work is adapted for placing in a horizontal position bridging the plates, bearing means for the plates comprising a hinge pin sector fixed to the upper end portion of each plate and having an arcuate outer surface and an arcuate longitudinal groove at its inner surface and a hinge pin seated in the grooves of each pair of sectors in assembled relation and journaled in said pair of bearings for vertical swinging movement of the plates, a hold-down ram supported by said supporting structure above the work and having a narrow transverse work-engaging portion centered longitudinally at the junction of the upper edges of the pair of forming plates, and actuating means for at least one of the plates to swing the same upwardly at one side of the ram.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 366,486 Kimmel July 12, 1887 868,792 Mauzy Oct. 22, 1907 973,279 Kimbell Oct. 18, 1910 1,045,089 Belding Nov. 19, 1912 1,534,890 Bauman Apr. 21, 1925 1,687,988 Mullen et al. Oct. 16, 1928 2,426,260 Courtney Aug. 26, 1947 2,433,841 Glud Jan. 6, 1948 2,494,149 Webb Jan. 10, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 177,471 Great Britain Mar. 24, 1922 197,264 Great Britain May 10, 1923 617,269 Germany Nov. 5, 1933 

